St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-05-07
SOME THINGS IN FHE LIFE OF
GEN. JOHNSTON
Acadia Sentinel.


| Once as friend of Gen. Albert Sid
ney Johnston, was elOquently mann
| tanning that manual labor untitled a
man for the higher planes of thought
and feeling, he replied: "What you
say seems plausible, but self love for
bids mo to agree with you. | have
plowed and planted and gathered the
! harvest. The spade, the hoe, pillow and
! the AK are familiar to my hands, and
! that not for recreation, but for bread
To another friend he wrote: Labor
does not degrade the mind OF an educa-
.-., i.an. i, lit Hd> talent Iiity are i'll
| vigorated, if be has honor, it becomes
more steadfast.'
Once when suffering from i'll health
and extreme poverty, he was advised
TO Apply to his friend Gen. Taylor for
a position. After commenting on the
diSgraceful struggle iut office. ,htu as
common as it is HOW, he replied.
do not, therefore,, wish NY friends 10
ask Gen. Taylor for any office for me.
| He knows me we'll aud II 1t should not
occurr to him to offer me Il place. |
shall only think that he has selected
others whom he believed better capa-
hle of promoting the public interests.
Gen Taylor did appoint him OF his
own HCtitlI. NTtlj. JDIlH>toii A'tiih'ti'
ing on this fact said: A good charac-
ter has soIid value. | had tried to
live blameIeSs, and to deserve we'll.
and vet II last, found myself where |
thought was entirely fOrEottcu. Now
do ynu think if | had been sharp fell
low Gen. Taylor would have taken the
trouble to hunt me up III the mud OF
the Braz0s bottom to make Il paymaster
of me-"
Gen. Johnston possessed great de-
liberation and decision of character
which were manifested III very small
things. He would pause in walking, it
person hesitated in passing him
which side of the walk to take, and
thus allow him to take the choice. On
the occasion of vehicle approaching
Rapidly, he remarked: There is more
room behind that carriage than in front
of it," When a boy of 10 he went to
West Point, he stopped at hotel IN
New York. The waiter at dinner sud
denly said to him. Calpash or CALYPSO.
He had not the slightest idea what the
man meant, but us the question gave
him IL choice, he answered calipash.
He thus found that there were two
modes of dressing turtle. He spoke
little of his inner life, but once he said
urging upon him the benefits of prayer.
and added: | did not think it neceS-
sary to tell bin, but it is many years
since have closed my eyes in sleep
without prayer. Indeed feel that |
cannot thank God enough for his good
ness to me. Beyond that thanksgiving.
| almost dread to go: his care is So
great. and my views are so narrow.
that do not know how to ask God for
anything better for me and mine, than
that his will he done. At another
time. when III some perpleXity, he
wrote. 81 trust in God. in that con
SistS The sum of my religion. Just be-
fore the battle Of Shiloh, in conSe-
duence of the reverseS at Donclson and
other points. public opinion was against
the hero. He met the unjust condrm-
nation in silence, and with noble fortl-
tude. When urged To make an eNpIa-
nation OF his course he said: Il can
not correspond with the people. What
the people want is u battle and vic
tory. That is the best explanation
can make. | require no vindication. ]
trust that to the future